“Friends” star David Schwimmer has posted a memorial tribute to Matthew Perry.
The pair worked together for a decade as part of the “Friends” ensemble, and remained a close knit family.
He ends his post with a typical Perry sardonic twist:
I imagine you up there, somewhere, in the same white suit, hands in your pockets, looking around—
“Could there BE any more clouds?”
I hate even to call “Harmony,” which opened on Broadway Monday night, just Barry Manilow’s musical. It’s written by Bruce Sussman, a labor of love for both men. It’s been at least 25 years in the making.
“Harmony” is based on the true story of the Comedian Harmonists, a troupe of singers who lived and worked in Berlin in 1934. Three of them were Jewish, including their nominal leader — called Rabbi — so you can imagine what fate befell them as the Nazis quickly gained power.
The story is a little “Fiddler on the Roof,” a little “Sound of Music.” But it’s no “Springtime for Hitler.” There is serious stuff going on as the Harmonists’ story runs the gamut from happy young men seeking fame to people running from fascism to save their own lives. “Harmony” could not be more timely at a moment in modern history when antisemitism is rampant.
Broadway veteran Chip Zien leads a strong cast of New York theater darlings including Sierra Bogess and Julie Benko as the wives and girlfriends of the Harmonists. Zien brings sharp comic timing and real pathos to Rabbi as an old man looking back at his life. Danny Kornfeld plays his younger self with all the necessary confidence and bravado of a young man on the upswing.
The other Harmonists are just as talented, and just so there’s bit of pizzazz, Sussman gives us Josephine Baker in the form of dazzling Allison Semmes so it’s not just a drab male downer. Semmes kicks it up just when some glamor and femininity are needed. Not that Benko and Bogess aren’t hot stuff, but their characters have more serious matters to deal with, like fighting those Nazis.
Nevertheless, Benko and Bogess sing like angels and Manilow has given them great material. The “Harmony” songs form a lovely score that’s got a couple of top 40 hits in the mix because come on, this is Barry Manilow. But the music also fits the Broadway mold and gives opportunities to the entire cast to show off their vocal chops. There were thunderous ovations opening night and even a standing ovation mid show. Director Warren Carlyle and the whole creative team have suffused “Harmony” with real depth.
There is nothing harder than premiering a new musical. The audience has been trained to adore revivals, material they know and love and are comfortable with. You’ve never heard these songs before, you don’t know where the story is going exactly. (You can read about the real Harmonists here.) So I give Sussman and Manilow extra points for being brave enough to pull this off. Is “Harmony” perfect? No. But in this political climate, the show has an extra urgency and reason to survive. You will be moved to tears by the end (in a good way), knowing that this journey gave us a blueprint for the future.
All good things must come to an end, and now it’s time for “Young Sheldon” on CBS, which will return for a final 7th season on February 15th.
A ratings blockbuster for six seasons, “Young Sheldon” is the prequel to the “Big Bang Theory.” Ian Armitage stars as Sheldon Cooper leading up to the character’s years in the original series.
It’s a little surprising that CBS and Chuck Lorre Productions are throwing in the towel now. Armitage is turning 16 next July. Even though he’s gotten quite tall, the character is still not up to the “Big Bang Theory” years. But it may be easier to stop now.
In the original series, many things happen to Sheldon’s family that haven’t happened yet in the prequel including the death of Sheldon’s father. It’s unknown if all that will be covered, or if “Young Sheldon” will end on a happy ever ending note. After all, it’s a comedy.
Armitage is joined in the cast by Zoe Perry as Mary Cooper, Lance Barber as George Cooper Sr., Annie Potts as Connie “Meemaw” Tucker, Montana Jordan as Georgie Cooper Jr., and Raegan Revord as Missy Cooper. Jim Parsons, who played Sheldon on “The Big Bang Theory,” serves as the series’ narrator.
The final episode in May will be a one hour special. You can almost bet the final shot will be of Jim Parsons, as an adult Sheldon, being passed the baton in some way by Armitage. And then it will be time for “Young Leonard.”
Courteney Cox has now posted her tribute to Matthew Perry.
Cox’s Monica had a romance with Perry’s Chandler which led to marriage. Their first entanglement was planned as a surprise to the audience. She says it went so well, the one night stand turned into a full story line. (I didn’t know that’s how it happened.)
Now I guess Jennifer Aniston is next to post something.
As you may have heard, there will be no new “Mission Impossible” movie in 2024. After “Dead Reckoning Part 1” was a bit of a box office disappointment, Paramount et al decided to rejigger Part 2 with a different title and reshoots — some because of the strikes this year.
But surprise! The famous, thrilling “Mission Impossible” theme music, first written for the 60s TV show, can be heard almost constantly now in commercials. When I heard a little girl humming Lalo Schifrin’s legendary theme on a commercial for Etsy, a website for gifts, especially those for the holidays, I was a little surprised. Wasn’t this music used only for “Mission Impossible” movies?
So I called up Donna Schifrin, Lalo’s wife of 52 years, to see if she knew what was going on. (Lalo is 91 and has better things to do than speak with me!)
Donna says Sony Publishing can license the “Mission” theme as it pleases, they don’t have to ask permission. Apparently, they don’t ask Paramount, either. Donna says the music has been used occasionally for commercials, but she hasn’t heard it in years.
She told me: “I’m surprised. A lot of big international banks have asked for it, and they were turned down.” Nevertheless, she says, the music does surface from time to time in unexpected places, “Legally and illegally.” Donna noted that at one point Tom Cruise had asked that it not be used for anything but the movies so as not to dilute the brand. But as you’ll see below, the cow is out of the barn.
PS A couple of things about the Schifrins: ironically, Donna says they live across the street from the “James Bond” producers. How weird is that? Only in Hollywood, kids! I also brought up Lalo’s theme music from “Mannix,” which is sublime and has aged as well as “MI.” Donna said she’d pass along the kudos.
So we get to enjoy “Mission Impossible” this Christmas for Etsy, and maybe next year, too.
First, “Mannix,” then the commercials:
The Beatles are back in the top 10.
According to Luminate, “Now and Then” has sold 120,000 copies including 32,000 actual 45s or downloads. The rest is from streaming.
The result is Billboard putting “Now and Then” at number 7 on the Top 100. It’s the first time in 27 years the Beatles have been on the charts. The last time was with “Real Love” and “Free as a Bird.”
“Now and Then” is also number 1 in the UK, number 4 on iTunes. The Beatles newly remixed “red” and “blue” albums are in the top 10 on iTunes and amazon.
The official music video is up to 28 million views.
Matt LeBlanc has posted a goodbye to his friend on stage and off, Matthew Perry. On “Friends” they were roommates and best friends. On stage they were a great comic duo, often left to their own devices in the show while Rachel and Ross were taking up time, or Monica and Phoebe were involved in Lucy and Ethel type antics. LeBlanc’s message is tearful, with a funny, sarcastic ending — just like Perry would have done.
See below: Donald Trump finally posted something around 1:30pm.
Maryanne Trump Barry has been dead now for over a day. Her younger brother, Donald, hasn’t acknowledged her passing in any way.
Donald is now without siblings. His brother, Robert, died a couple of years ago. Brother Fred went long before that.
Why hasn’t Donald said anything about Maryanne? He likely has nothing good to say about her after the former judge tore him to pieces in niece Mary Trump’s book. Maryanne said of her brother on tape: “He has no principles. None.”
She also said: “His goddamned tweet and lying, oh my God. I’m talking too freely, but you know. The change of stories. The lack of preparation. The lying.”
Trump’s sister also called him “cruel” and denied he had anything to do with her law career. “I have never asked him for a favor since 1981,” she clarified.
So it’s unlikely we’re going to see Donald eulogize his sister. He reportedly was horrendous to his brother, Fred, and certainly doesn’t speak to Mary, Fred’s daughter. Now, as he stands trial for the first of four times, Donald Trump is vastly alone.
The big celebrity book drop is over, with total sales wobbling, if not outright collapsing.
Britney Spears started strong with 415,000 copies of “The Woman in Me
in her debut week. But second week sales more accurately reflect what happened: 132,000 was the number, which brings the total a still very healthy 550,000 according to Circana Bookscan.
That’s a drop of 68%. The first week sales were inflated by pre-orders, audio books, and ebooks. Literally every piece of gossip from the book has been revealed by now, and Justin Timberlake has been thoroughly trashed in service of selling copies — which was undeserved.
Now comes news that Margot Robbie wants to make an “I, Tonya” kind of movie about Britney, or “Barbie Gone Mad.” It’s not a good idea. Brad Pitt’s production company is said to be looking at a film, too. But Britney is nuts, and pathetic, and no movie about her would be pleasant to watch. And her fans don’t want to see her satirized.
Meanwhile, Jada Pinkett Smith’s negativity tour was a bust. She’s sold just 33,000 copies of “Worthy.” That’s really nothing for all the pain she inflicted on all of us, and how bad she made Will Smith look. She threw everyone under the bus, but the bus seems to have backed up over her. The great thing about this kind of gossip is that it has a short shelf life. Jada’s whining and stomping of her feet feels very old now even though it was just a month ago.
The A list opening night of Barry Manilow’s (and Bruce Sussman’s) musical, “Harmony,” was filled with celebs.
I was lucky enough to sit right in front of a bunch of them: Judd Hirsch and Marilu Henner from the classic sitcom, “Taxi,” as well as the great musical entertainer, Michael Feinstein.
During the intermission of the emotional show, I chatted with Hirsch and Henner, who told me that the entire cast of “Taxi” does a Zoom call every month. Marilu said, “It started during the pandemic and we’ve kept it up. It’s us, Christopher Lloyd, Danny DeVito, Carol Kane. Six of us. Plus Jim Brooks [who created the show]. We have a ball. We’re a family.”
The two who are missing, sadly, are Andy Kaufman and Jeff Conaway.
The pair told me there will be a “Taxi” reunion on “The View” sometime this week because Hirsch and Kane each live in New York, DeVito and Henner are in theater productions here right now, and they just like seeing each other. Is it an anniversary, I asked? “No,” said Hirsch. “Marilu put it together and we’re just doing it.”
Actually it is 40 years since the show went off the air. But it’s never stopped running in syndication.
I love these casts that still get together decades after the shows ended. The “Knots Landing” and “Dallas” casts remain close, too, and I’m sure there are other. For Jim Brooks, it must be rewarding that the “Taxi” is still around. Almost everyone connected to “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” one of his other triumphs, is sadly gone.
Some other stars in the “Harmony” audience included Broadway greats Tovah Feldshuh, Sutton Foster, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Patrick Page. Lorna Luft flew in from Los Angeles. And people left the theater singing, which is always a good sign. (Review coming later Tuesday morning.)